Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Pictured are five of the eight weighted blankets that were made for Children's Resource Center as part of a humanitarian project for the Worland LDS Stake Relief Society.
WORLAND - Each year the Worland Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Relief Society selects a humanitarian relief project and this year they chose to help their fellow neighbors in each of the communities the stake serves - Greybull, Basin, Worland, Ten Sleep and Thermopolis.
Relief Society President Julie Edholm said in previous years the humanitarian projects have usually centered on helping people overseas but this year she and her council wanted to do something closer to home. They knew they wanted to reach each of the communities so they began reaching out to different organizations in each of the communities to see where the needs lay. The end result was five service projects covering all of the communities and assisting a wide range of people in those communities.
THE PROJECTS
One Worland project ended up being a humanitarian activity that helped out three communities - providing weighted blankets for autistic children at Children's Resource Centers in Worland, Thermopolis and Basin.
Edholm said the weighted blankets, ranging from 4 pounds to 7 pounds, help calm autistic children. CRC purchased the beads used to weight the blankets and the LDS church provided the other materials, the volunteers and the time.
She added that seamstress Carol Burns from Thermopolis knew how to make the blankets and assisted those who made the blankets.
Edholm added that the blankets, delivered last week, have been such a big hit, one parent has contracted Burns to make one so she has it at home because it helped her autistic child so much.
They were initially going to make five blankets so each center could have two with Worland already having one. Through the donations and volunteer effort they were able to make eight to distribute between the three centers.
In Thermopolis, the Department of Family Services asked for "blessing bags" that they distribute to children who have been removed from their home. The bags contain a stuffed animal and hygiene products.
Edholm said the project included obtaining canvas bags and having volunteers use fabric pens to write an inspirational/encouraging message, and decorating with fun characters. They were able to provide 50 bags to DFS.
Another Worland project provided 75 string-type backpacks to Big Brothers Big Sisters filled with games to be used as ice breakers in the first few meetings between the Bigs and the Littles.
"It has been a great hit," Edholm said and there were enough bags for the Worland Big Brothers Big Sisters to share with the Riverton organization.
In Ten Sleep, the biggest need was Levi and Sarah Collins and the quadruplets that were born earlier this fall, to join two other siblings at home. The four babies should be able to come home after Thanksgiving Edholm said and the request was for four tummy/infant floor mats.
In Basin, the humanitarian project provided 30 wheelchair/walker bags that residents can put their remote control and other items in that they want close at hand at all times.
In the Basin-Greybull communities they provided 23 lap blankets for the Bonnie Bluejacket Memorial Nursing Home. Edholm said when they delivered the blankets she was able to meet a 99-year-old woman who was excited to receive her bright-colored, soft fleece blanket.
In the Greybull community, the Relief Society humanitarian effort provided 60 hygiene kits for homebound seniors that will be distributed by the South Big Horn Senior Center.
PROJECT DAY
Edholm said the humanitarian efforts began on Oct. 12 with a huge volunteer effort. Eighty volunteers from the five communities gathered in Worland to assemble the various bags and blankets.
In addition to each project helping a wide range of people in the communities, they also provided an opportunity for people of varying talents to help out, she noted.
The group worked from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Edholm noted that weighted blankets were the most time consuming and had to be finished later at home by those volunteers.
Edholm said the humanitarian project is usually completed in the fall and they learned a lot through this project that they hope to carry over into next year.
